Blossom
by koujacku
Summary: (discontinued) An icy prince, a snowy deer, and a budding love. (au/ooc, riren)
1. The Winter Deer Likes Edelweiss

Soft, white snow scattered on the ground and danced lightly along the air, the leafless trees billowing from the slight breeze. It was chilly but it wasn't biting anyone out of their skins, however it was enough to make them shiver. Those who were lucky enough who had been born with tolerance to the cold had gritted their teeth and carried on with their jobs. The rest stayed huddled in front of the warmth of the fire, hoping the snow would stop soon.

Snow. Snow's everywhere. Beautiful, but a deadly killer. Once upon a time it had frozen and stacked in piles it became layers of ice, unlucky villagers had slipped to their deaths. Blood upon such pretty snowflakes.

At least they were all accidents.

The Maria and the Sina had been in war for over centuries, generation after generation, year after year. It was all sort of a scheduled system. Every winter there'd be a mournful Christmas, dead bodies upon dead bodies, pools of crimson and defeats. There were never any real winning. Still, they prayed to their Gods they would win somehow, someday - but that day never came.

Every winter, swords clashed against flesh and shield. Every winter, cries of pain and victory echoed throughout the white landscape.

Every winter the snow stained red, with two flags embedded admist the dead bodies.

If it weren't for the Prince who led the front line, Maria would've lost everything.

No. There were no words need to be said. All it needed was the look of his icy eyes and it would surge their gears with such determination equal to angry bulls - it was what charged them to thrust and parry, to cry out their spirits and to abandon their wishes to live suffering but to die trying.

The cold Prince - Levi is his name. Once he introduces himself, you'd never forget the name, you'd never forget the face. Cold may be his face like the snowflakes, but there was always burning passion under the heavy armour of metal. He may have no heart but he has one, clear mind. One passion that bursts through the white snowflakes of the winter.

* * *

><p>"Mike, see anything?"<p>

"Nay." he huffed. "Useless birds don't satisfy anythin'. Prob'ly the fox, not for the people of Maria. Ugh, probably the stupid snow got them all dead."

It was usual for the nobles to hunt or buy as much livestock as they need. At war in the winter there'd rarely be any time for hunting for food, and they were going hunting now before the winter war phase for stock for themselves and their soldiers.

White flowers and pine trees scattered amongst the not yet bloodied landscape as they left footprints on the snow that dusted the earth, Levi wincing as their boots made crunching sounds on the ground. He looked for any signs of life other than themselves, stupid big-ass trees and some birds. He then heard a rustle somewhere in the bushes, he and Mike quickly jumped back behind a dead tree for camouflage.

"Get your arrows ready." Levi hissed as he pulled one out himself, the silver end of the pointed blade shining in the bright light reflected by the snow. He put it between his skilled fingers right next to the bow, one hand holding the end of the arrow and the other stretching the bow and by the feathers. He turned around to shoot.

_No._ He dazed. _He couldn't shoot_.

Before his eyes, stood quite in the distance, the most beautiful creature he had ever seen, and Levi had frozen. His hair was brown but had the odd appearance of it being bleached white by the season, soft locks stopping just behind pointed ears. His figure was small but slightly towering in height, but his fingers were nimble and thin, his frame lean and skinny. His eyes were deep, deep green, and his skin coloured so contrast against the snow, soft lips parted to breathe out heating steam from his mouth. An oversized cloak draped over his shoulders, followed by grey, simple clothes and brown footwear. A basket of Edelweiss was held between his twined fingers.

Levi then noticed the two extra appendages on top of his head. Just above his ears, the Prince could see two small lumps budding, branching out like deer's antlers, however miniature and very limited. White flowers dangled itself in the horns like a crown.

His ear twitched as he sensed a presence.

And may God help Levi, he sounded like an angel.

"Hello?" he softly called out. "Is that you, Armin?"

Levi and Mike stared at each other and held their breaths, both thinking of the same thing.

"Oh, you're too paranoid." the creature told himself, his laughter a gentle tinkle. He walked away, leaving bootprints along the snow. However as Levi stared, the places where he left his footsteps, the snow seemed to grow back up, leaving no footsteps at all. The looked at the creature with a held breath, gritting his teeth and digging his nails into the tree.

"I can't shoot him." Levi finally said with a shaky breath, resting his head on the pillar-like tree and closing his eyes. "No. Not a creature such as that."

Their breaths were pants although they hadn't been running, but their hearts were hammering onto their chests. Mike ran a hand through his hair, gulping and shoving back his arrows into the wooden cylinder on his back.

"Neither do I, Sire." he breathed out. "Neither do I."

They trudged along the forest trying to find food, but all they got was a river of fishes. It's always fishes nowadays in the winter, and they were lucky enough the rivers hadn't frozen up. Winter - no matter how wealthy you are, no matter how much authority you hold, it's merciless. It is ignorant to people boxed together with their classes, it attacks everybody. Anyone. Children, women, men... Say, it even changes the whole nature itself. There's always the goddamn birds but they were never enough, and they taste horrible and proved nauseous.

So the two men walked home, yet again with fishes and fishes and fishes. They didn't rot throughout the winter because they'd keep them in a chamber stuffed with snow and ice, though the whole food stock had began to stink of fish from the past years so pretty much everything tastes like fish now. Not that anybody had the rights to complain, because food is food. You die a starving damn or you die by food poisoning.

_(So I guess you can imagine how their breaths stink like, hm...)_

Levi nodded at the guards before swinging the door open, groaning. He walked into the castle's kitchen, Mike following behind although they've done this millions of times easily.

The rule is that of nobody would look at the Prince directly at the face unless you are more than just an acquaintance - like his fellow soldiers, his friends, his family and a few of selected people. It is considered disrespectful and almost challenging, it would result in imprisonment in the dungeons. Nobody looked at Levi and the cooks busied themselves with chopping ingredients and fish meat.

"In here again?" Levi asked one of the cooks. Levi had turned his head to look at her, however she doesn't look back and she only looked at her chopping board

"Yes, Sire. Just empty the contents and we'll handle the rest."

"Mmhm." Levi swung the metal door open, finding newly stacked snow and ice inside the cold storage room. He emptied the contents of his bag - yet more fishes - onto the corner of the room, Mike following suit. They walked away from the stinking kitchen, Mike parting to his headquarters while Levi gone back to his main castle.

"Hello, Sire. Back so soon?" a woman greeted, bowing her head - she looked at Levi. Didn't matter since she was his personal servant, so he shrugged and tossed his cloak away, the woman catching it in time, chuckling.

"Let me guess. Fish for dinner tonight?"

"Tell me something I don't know." Levi groaned, shoving off his cold boots and stretching his limbs. He took off his chainmail and his armour, throwing it aside carelessly. He collapsed on the bed, growling.

Petra Ral laughed lightly, retrieving the Prince's equipment. She sat down on one of the stools and began to polish them, even though no sign of dirtiness were to be seen, except from stupid ice and snow that had been contaminated with earth.

"Hey, Petra." Levi said, eyes half asleep.

"Yes, Sire?"

"Have you seen this creature?" he said, almost dreamily. "Seeming like a normal, petite young man - however with deer antlers crowning his head? Just two short branches, but it all seemed to dangle with Edelweiss, and he picks the same flower and he carries a basket made and entwined with the stem of the same flower. Every of his footsteps levaes no trace; and his voice..." Levi gritted his teeth. Had he been hypnotized? Looks could certainly kill.

"... I've heard about it in fairytales." Petra thoughtfully tapped her chin. "A sweet, beautiful child of innocence, he creates the snowflakes. Though - " she put the armour aside and reached for the boots, rubbing the soles. " - only to admire upon, and not a container for the blood."

"Magic?"

"No idea. Nobody knows what he does but he picks Edelweiss - because they're always there. Even in the winter. Rumours say he lives in the forests that surround Maria, but I have no clue about that." she smiled. "Why?"

"... Because..." he bit his lip. "Nevermind. Wake me up when it's time for dinner."

* * *

><p>His cursed his boots for crunching again, sighing. His eyes alert for any signs of creatures - Mike would've done a good job, but he's away right now, so Levi's alone by himself. He held his bow to his side, stalking forward like a wolf hunting. He looked around for any quiet clopping of hooves or padding of paws.<p>

He looked at the ground.

Edelweiss.

As soon as he saw a flash of green cloak he stepped back behind a tree, holding his breath, peeking back with only one visible eye.

It was the creature again - though his hair seemed whiter by the rate _(or is it just my imagination?)_, and his eyes hued a lovely golden yellow.

_Just like Edelweiss_.

He hummed softly, his boots leaving no sound in the snow. There was a sort of picking sound as the boy retrieved the white flowers and pressing the petals close to his cheeks, appreciating it with a soft murmur and laying it down in the basket with the other white flowers. He sat in the clearing admist the snow, watching every snowflake dance gracefully to the ground, giggling softly every noun and then.

He doesn't know. _He doesn't know. _The snow is a beautiful killer. _He doesn't know._

Levi knew he had became attracted to this pretty creature as he had completely faltered his focus on the rest of the hunting trip, his mind often wandering off while he carried a bag of _(yet again)_ fish home. The fishes are getting fewer and the river's starting to crack and freeze.

The creature was to blame, but at the same time, he was innocent.

Levi didn't know what hapenned but he'd go on a hunting trip every day, even when he hadn't scheduled to do so, only for the sake of the creature, then fish. Every time Levi sees the creature there'd be more flowers forming around his antlers like a white crown, and his hair would turn white and his eyes would be pure, molten gold. Sometimes he'd pick Edelweiss, sometimes he'd prance about in the snow. Sometimes he built figures from the snow - little villagers and their childishly-made homes. Levi just couldn't help but _stare _at him with dazed eyes. He hadn't meant to... to 'stalk' - but who could resist such a beautiful creature?

_He wasn't attracted he wasn't attracted he wasn't attracted he wasn't attracted he wasn't attracted he wasn't attracted he wasn't attracted he wasn't attracted he wasn't attracted. _

It was another day, where it's not a hunting trip, Levi carrying his usual bow and arrows. He walked in his footsteps that had not yet been covered by the snow, making his way back. There's always the Edelweiss, and he'd jump back behind the same tree over and over again, day by day. He knew he should be sword-sparring today... but only _one_ day couldn't hurt, right?

Always, the flash of the green cloak and the light footsteps, the basket made and full of the same flowers. The crown on his head seemed to be in full bloom, and when one petal fell off - Levi noticed - it would always grow back.

Then Levi saw that the creature had noticed the footprints his boots had left on the ground.

_God help me._ Levi gritted his teeth. If he ran now, he would leave more footprints and who knows what danger he had brought with him into Maria? You could never assume or trust something - even though he looked innocent. But then running away or not, Levi had been screwed.

"Armin? Is that you?" the creature called out. He was getting even closer... closer... Levi gritted his teeth.

Until he came face to face with the creature.

His skin was paler than when he had first met him, and now he looked like an albino with golden eyes. Crowned with Edelweiss with a pair of deer antlers, a green hood, grey clothing and brown boots. Basket made out of and containing flowers.

..._pretty..._

"Ah, d-did you get lost?"

_May God help Levi trying to snap out of daze because his voice is heaven._

"... Uh..."

"Did you bump your head?" the creature asked, concern written all over his face. "Oh! Did you slip? Did you fall out of the tree? Did you get cold? Did you - "

He flinched.

"I'm sorry."

Was that Levi or him?

"You're beautiful." Levi blurted out of nowhere.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Uh what what what what what what what<em>**

**_eren ur too ooc fricken get ur butt here right now jesus-freckled-marco-christ_**

**_im too lazy to proofread this gomen for mistakes_**

**_sighs updates soon_**

**_kouja(c)ku_**


	2. The Everdancing Skylights

**_Well I o.o Only a few days of post, and already 11 follows! Aaaaa I just HAVE to upload another chapter! _**

**_wtf this chapter reminds me of Elsa_**

**EDIT: Fixed some spelling mistakes.**

* * *

><p>If it weren't for he and Mike to be hunting that day, he wouldn't've seen him.<p>

Levi began seeing him everyday - hunting trip day or no hunting trip day - there's just always something that dazzled him every time he visisted the beautiful creature.

Maybe perhaps it was his eyes? His hair? His non-existent footprints? Levi didn't know. But he knew he was being dragged into him; a siren among sailors. Though somehow, he knew that the creature didn't mean any harm of the sort. He looked innocent, and his voice contained no lies nor malice. His eyes were honest, and Levi... Levi just... knew, you know?

His name is Eren.

"Eren." Levi tasted it off. He liked rolling the R of his name, so he said it often. Strangely enough, the first time he said it, it didn't sound foreign to him. It was sort of... as if he knew the creature all along. Like a very old friend. Or he had been expecting the day like this would come.

Not only his name. He himself was perfection.

He has brown, soft locks that turned fawn in the spring and white in the winters. His eyes were of green but a molten gold hue when the winter came; representing him as of the petals of Edelweiss. Sure enough - Edelweiss is his favorite flower. _Because when all other flowers die,_ he had said softly, _Only Edelweiss stays with me. _The same flower crowned his head and they budded only at winter. Two short antlers on top of his head, a weathered green cloak around his neck, typical grey village clothing and leather boots only nobles could've afforded. His skin orginally a natural honey colour but turned into the colour of snow-like at winter - Eren seems like an evolving chameleon, changing season by season.

"We only eat fish nowadays." Levi scoffed.

"Vegetables are good too." Eren suggested, prodding at the flower petals. "Why don't you try them?"

"Unfortunately, it's a common stereotype that commoners eat crops and nobles eat the flesh of animals. A noble is shunned, so is the rest of his family, if he touches a single vegetable in his life. While, on the other hand, when a commoner obtains an animal flesh, he is considered blessed from God himself." Levi laughed humourlessly. "I'm not really surprised if one day we turn our faces into cannibalism."

Eren's face struck horror.

"I'm just kidding." Levi really laughed this time. "What do vegetables taste like, then? Fruits?"

"Sort of a fruit." Eren smiled. "Though not many grow in the winter. You have to wait until spring, maybe I can show you something decent to eat. Oh - oh, Summer! We can grown corn and pinneapples and - "

"Don't overexcite yourself." Levi chuckled. He turned his head away. "Besides... it's not like it's a guarantee you'll see me after winter..."

"I beg your pardon?"

"No. Nothing."

Day by day, the winter grew colder, sometimes Levi grew disappointed when he couldn't meet Eren because the blizzard stormed outside. When it clears, Levi took his chances and gone out discreetly; and Eren would always be there picking Edelweiss (that just seems to grow everyday! I mean, have you seen the amount in his basket?) as if the blizzard never hapenned, and he would greet Levi with a smile.

Sometimes it's a hug.

Sometimes it's a kiss on the cheek.

And he would always be warm, no matter how cold the winter fell.

Levi would sometimes deceive himself that the creature was never a snow-weilder. Just a normal albino villager crossing boundaries just because of the Edelweiss. Nothing more but an innocent young boy that Levi was attracted to. But when Levi gazed at the appendages on top of his head, he clenched his fists - he was the cause of the uprising death toll in the winter. Even if he may not know it and only knew that the snow is only something beautiful to look at, he chose to hide the fact or did not know that they were killers. Both of the enemy, and for Maria.

Levi shouldn't be too close to him.

Yet... and yet...

"... _Rivaille Ackermann._"

Levi snapped out of his trance sighed, turning around, his boots making some sort of slick noise as he turned in the stone tiles to face his old father - the King of Maria. Even though they were relatives of blood they didn't look the same at all, the father being gigantious and burly while the son was all skin-and-bones with strength and passion.

Thing is, his father never called him by his full name - especially _Rivaille_ unless he was in deep, deep trouble.

"Yes...?"

"Where have you been?" the king approached him, towering over Levi. "I've arranged sparring for you and Mike but you never showed up. You know it's the war phase you've got to ready yourself, unless you'd rather for your twin sister to take your throne?"

It was a tradition that only males shall be heir and ruler, or they will be shunned.

"... Hunting." Levi said nonchalantly, but not stern enough as it used to be.

"... Right." his father sighed, straightening up. "Right."

The King knows his son inside out, even though they never had a good relationship and they pretty much always argued with each other. And of course, parents always knows when their children is lying about something.

Levi always deadpanned. When something's wrong, it all turns to jelly.

"You have been doing something out of schedule." his father crossed his arms. "What is it?"

"I - "

"Levi." he repeated. "_You have been doing something out of schedule, _yes?"

Levi clenched his fists.

"Yes." he said with unstained pride. "But I have no wishes to spill it off my tongue. Good day, sire."

_Nobody should ever saunter off, especially to the King. Nobody should walk out from a converstation, especially from the King. Nobody should leave a question unanswered, especially from the King._

**_Levi, you're a dead man._**

"Young man, get back here, right now." he commanded. Levi stayed silent and his boots continued to echo off the hallway, hands on his sides, his mouth slowly forming a smirk.

"_Levi_."

In history, it wasn't really the first time Levi had done this before. Usually he'd walk out but come back again when his father called him again, his head hung low in shame.

Perhaps Eren was some sort of strong factor that urged him that he just _needed _to see him, and not even the King of Maria could stop him from doing so.

This is a bad move.

He should stop.

_Levi shouldn't be too close with him._

He ran across the courtyard, his stupid cape billowing and his boots crunching against the snow, the bitter wind biting his face. He sprinted towards the all-too-familiar pathway hidden by pines, leading uphill towards the mountains. Edelweiss started to appear along the road, then a whole lot of them appeared in Levi's eyes.

But there's no sign of Eren.

He looked around. Perhaps he wasn't picking Edelweiss today, or he's just late.

He waited.

And waited.

And waited.

The sky grew darker as the sun began to set, a shady orange and darkish blue stretched along the horizon.

Levi sighed and began to trudge downhill.

"Leeeeviiiiiiiii!"

The prince suddenly whipped around at the shout, unsheathing his sword in reflex. His eyes scattered everywhere and struck at his target, only to miss it by its green hood, the predator squeaking in fear.

"Oh, I'm- I'm sorry." Levi quickly apologised.

"It's okay." he laughed shakily. "It's only reflexes, isn't it?"

"Still, I could've killed you! Don't act like it's just as simple as _reflexes_." Levi sighed. He yanked the sword out of the tree, Eren examining his now holed hood.

"Don't fuss about it, Levi." Eren smiled, playfully _shooing_ him away. "I could always darn it again."

"Still."

"You worry too much."

"You're too carefree!" Levi grunted.

Eren laughed lightly, and took ahold of his hand. "Hey, can I..." he blushed. "Could I perhaps show you someplace special?"

"Well-"

"Oh, please, Levi!" he begged. "It's the only day of the year my mother could allow me to go, and I want to come with you!" he pouted. "Please please please please-"

"Tch! Alright, fine then," Levi rolled his eyes.

"You're the best, Levi!" Eren giggled, giving his cheek a quick kiss, Levi stuttering. "Okay! Ally-oop!"

"What the hell are you do-"

The snow flowed away and fluttered around them like a hurricane, though they were in the middle of the storm's eye. Levi shouted through but somehow the snow made such a loud buzzing noise he had to cover his ears. It surrounded them like a flurry of bees before scattering away and disappearing into the ground as if nothing had ever hapenned.

Levi found themselves in a different landscape, though the Edelweiss still remained.

"What just-"

"The snow teleported us." Eren grinned. "Come on, Levi!"

He yanked him by the arm and dragged him along the snow, Levi giving out a _whoa! _as he was pulled with him.

Though he couldn't help but frown. Never once had Eren spoke about his antlers, nor about his ice-snow whatsit talents and skills. Levi never pressed nor questioned but it seemed just weird to show him _now_ instead of mentioning about it earlier on. Nevertheless he ran along with Eren, grunting when they tripped over each other's boots.

The place was sort of... some kind of a magical fairy-tail like? Levi didn't know, but it was pretty. There were trees like willows but their leaves and trunk were of pure white, and there seemed to be an endless supply of snow since it scattered almost everywhere along the landscape. They seemed to go uphill past weirdly-formed jagged rocks until Levi saw that they were arranged _everywhere_, like some sort of graveyard.

They came into a sort of cavern holed in a mountain, made of ice.

"Is there seriously _anything_ that's not involved with ice or snow!?" Levi groaned.

"Perhaps." Eren giggled. "Come on, run faster, dwarf!"

Levi growled at the new nickname and ran along with him, boots echoing off the cavern. They came into a clearing but snow was still in sight.

"We're going to climb up this mountain!" Eren beamed, pointing upwards to the top of the mountain, hidden by white clouds and fog above.

"Are you mad!? It's too steep!"

"I'm just kidding!" Eren laughed. "You're not afraid of heights, right?"

"Uh-"

"Okay! Let's go!"

Eren kicked at the ground with his boot. At first Levi cocked an eyebrow in confusion but gasped as snow surrounded at their feet, lifting them both upwards like some sort of moving platform.

It continued to lift them upwards, and Levi felt like gliding upwards as if the wind carried him. They went through the fog and the clouds, and when they cleared, Levi could see just the rounded tip of the mountain and the dark sky.

"Oh, wow." Levi glanced upwards to see the white stars.

"That's only a little bit of what I'm going to show you." Eren giggled. As soon as they reached the top base of the snowy mountain the platform stopped, both of them jumping off from the platform to the mountain top. The platform disappeared like the previous tornado of snow did as if nothing had ever hapenned.

Eren told him to wait. And so he did.

Little by little, the skies began to illuminate. Bit by bit Levi noticed that the sky seemed to flow before it began to materialize.

"Wow... I..." Levi began, but his words faltered in his throat.

It seemed like flowing ribbons in the sky that so often changed colours - pink, green, purple, like the sky had lights other than the stars. Levi watched in awe as the lights danced through the skies in bliss, the bitter cold forgotten.

Levi held out to hold his hand.

* * *

><p><strong><em>But its called aurora borealis, not skylights D:<em>**

**_let iT GOOOOOO_**

**_i havent even watched frozen haha _**

**_anyways, ilu guys for reading this story : * stay tuned fellas!_**

**_oh yeah! your reviews encourage me so much, by the way! ;u; if maybe i get enough revs for this one i will update much faster!_**

**_**_kouja(c)ku_**_**


	3. Kalura, the Mother Deer-Wolf

Levi woke up warm, even though he was pretty sure snow was all around them.

As his senses regained, he slowly realized the large green cloak Eren would always wear acting as a mattress _and _a blanket, wrapped around them both. Their bodies were tightly pressed together, their legs tangled, Eren had his arms around his waist and Levi's face against his chest, cursing his mother for being so dainty and short. He sighed into grey fabric and looked up at Eren.

Probably that's where all the warmth came from. Eren is always warm, no matter the weather.

He registered yesterday's memories, finding themselves in the same mountain top. It was still dark but he could see the sun peeking out from the fog and the mist that thinly surrounded them. He grinned inwardly at the experience last night, the way he was dazzled! He'd probably be one of these lucky people who'd seen these dancing skylights.

It all credited to Eren.

Levi shuffled upwards to see his face, sighing. Eren softly snored away, a peaceful look content in his face. He even looked beautiful when sleeping! Levi reached up a hand and gently traced his lips, caressing his cheek -

_What the devil was he doing!? _he retracted his hand as if he'd just touched fire. He couldn't - no, _shouldn't_ have fallen for the creature. This is all a sort of mistake he has to erase, _right now_. This innocent creature might turn into a monster one day and (might as well) gnaw him to pieces. He was probably seducing him so he could be bewitched under his trance!

Levi sat up, short breaths came out as steam. _He's sleeping_. he thought. _I have an advantage._ he pulled out his sword, raised it up and lowered the point to Eren's neck.

... On the other hand, if Eren had been a killer all along, why not just do so at the first time they've met? Unless he was toying with him first, shouldn't he already killed him in the beginning? And his eyes - his eyes told no lies, and the way they glittered like gems when he was excited or curiously interested in something. And Levi never heard of a villain who picked flowers every day, even at the stark of blizzard.

Levi's hands shook, trying his best to compose himself. He bit his bottom lip and flopped his arms, sheathing his sword back into the scabbard that hung in his belt. He ran a hand through his hair, sighing.

What sort of mess had he got himself into? He even walked out of his own father for this!

Levi froze.

He was going to be in serious trouble when he gets home, and father knows it all when he doesn't come home for dinner nor slept on his own bed.

He laughed humourlessly.

"The hell you doin'?" Eren peeked through one eye, grumbling. "Ain't even seven in the morn'."

"The day's already starting ahead of us, and that means we've wasted seven hours of our day today so far."

"Hmph." Eren yawned. He stretched and sat up, rubbing his eyes. As he registered the scene before himself, Levi could see his face turning crimson. He let out a yelp as Eren buried his face in his chest, shouting out.

"M-my deepest apologies!" Eren muffled in his chest, the tip of his ears reddening, the few dull points of his antlers slightly prodding in Levi's neck. "I have taken you out here to the cold, slept with you without any consent and didn't bring you back home! I'm sorry! I'm very, very sorry - "

"Tch, brat. It's fine." he sighed, pushing him away. "We weren't - well, we slept together, but not really... 'slept', like that. And God knows you have _that_ much body heat!" he grunted, then snorted at the sight of Eren trying to protest with his face still crimson. "My father will be outraged, but it is quite a nice experience. Thank you."

"Ah, umm, y-you're welcome...?"

"Is that meant to be a question or a statement?"

Levi thought it was impossible to get any more redder than Eren's face, but it proved wrong. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, what the hell are you apologizing for? You haven't done anything wrong." Levi sighed, shaking his head. Eren twiddled with his fingers and looked away.

"Nobody ever really said thank-you to me, I don't really know how to respond." he bit his lip. "Perhaps ma and Armin had done so, but..."

There it is again. Who's Armin? A brother? Friend? Perhaps even - former partner? Levi couldn't help but sort of envy this 'Armin' Eren sometimes talked about, and formed some sort of jealousy towards him, even though they hadn't met each other.

"I'm... not really sure - "

"Levi, what I said about my mother allowing here to come into this place..." Eren said suddenly. "I lied. It's just that... I'm forbidden to come here." he breathed from his mouth. "You wanna know why, Levi? It's not because it's a mountaintop."

What had brought this subject in the beginning, anyways? Levi held his breath.

"Because... it's a wolf territory?" he thought as best as he could.

Eren sighed as he began to fidget with his hood.

"In fear of exposing myself." Eren said. "Sure, I'm not afraid. But Levi, you're the first human - and also the friend you've brought in days ago at your hunting trip, to not have the heart to shoot me. I live in fear of the humans; so much my mother feared for me. Every hunter looked for the snowy deer in the forest picking Edelweiss hoping to get him skinned and hung above the fireplace - but not Rivaille, no? He set his arrows down and never shot. See what I mean, Levi?"

He tapped at his head, where his antlers stood. Levi frowned before the whole idea suddenly brust through his head.

Eren had always been afraid of humans, but he had always envied them - how they lived such a carefree and happy lifestyle. Eren had one too, but there's something missing from his life. Maybe apart from this... this 'Armin', he had nobody to talk to. Anyway, who would chat about your life with your mother? He had been so lonely, yet he had to stay lonely in order to restrain himself in safety.

So of his isolation, nobody had ever thanked him for his actions - verbally - and due to this, he never really knew how to respond.

"But you exposed yourself to me." Levi breathed out. "And you never know I could just kill you with my sword, right here, right now. How do you know I won't do that?"

"Because the moment you've set your arrows down, I know you could be trusted." Eren smiled gently. Levi held his breath.

This is the fatal point - _you shouldn't trust too easily_. That is Eren's mistake, and probably why his mother had restrained him from any human contact. Trust is not something you can give like you can give a loaf of bread for.

"Oh dear, my mother will kill me." Eren laughed lightly, looking up at the sun. "Let's go back."

They brushed off the snow from their clothes and Eren kicked the ground with his boot. Immediately, snow formed a platform under their feet and slowly glided them downwards, Levi taking in the view - he couldn't help but chuckle, since everything looked so much shorter in this height. Ground reached them and both stepped off the platform, and they began to trudge downhill.

Though Levi couldn't help but notice Eren slightly held back about something, biting his lip and his hands in his pockets as if something bad were to happen anytime soon. They didn't talk, and the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Their breaths came out in steam as they walked downwards, passing the grave-like jagged stones once more and the white 'willow' trees and the cavern. However, Eren seemed to stop at the cavern.

"What's up?"

"Nothing I can't handle." Eren shrugged. He kicked the icy walls and it cracked, Levi gasping as it broke away pieces by pieces, though he noticed that the breaking of it was controlled, and it formed a cave-in underground. "I'll just be in for a bit. Do you want to come?"

"Sure."

Eren stepped in with Levi, the wall behind them closing immediately.

The cave inside were not made of ice but of normal stone with occasional torches to keep it alight. There was some sort of deep rumbling sound from the end of the cave, and Levi was paranoid about it.

Sure enough, he was scared out of his skin when he saw what was at the end.

At the corner or the cave, slept a large... what seemed like a sort of a deer but with a beast's paws, fully armoured with only its bare claws. The built was of a deer but its coat was shaggy and thick like dog fur, coloured white and occasional grey. Its tail was almost as puffy and as long as the whole body itself. Then Levi noticed the antlers on top of its head and the piles of Edelweiss surrounding them - and it clicked.

_This is his mother._

The eye suddenly shot open, revealing a black pupil and eerie white schlera. It sighed a content of relief as the image of her son came into focus, Eren approaching her and nuzzling his face on his mother, burying his arms under the thick coat of fur.

**"My son."** came the deep, rumbling tone that sounded sort of watery. **"You had me worried all night."**

"I'm sorry, ma." Eren breathed out. But then he slightly laughed. "But I came back in one piece, didn't I?"

**"Tch, sure you did. Always stronger than I've estimated." **it sighed. It averted its eyes to the other guest, Levi's eye twitching.

**"A human!? A human had dared to follow you into our realms! How dare he! I shall destroy him into dust!"** it suddenly roared, howling. Levi stepped back as Eren hushed his mother, shaking his head wildly, stepping in front of her face, her mouth open in some sort of vicious hiss, canines peeking out from the purplish gum.

"Ma, he's not dangerous! I swear." Eren reassured. "He's my friend. I had lead him here, ma. I... wanted to show him to you."

The deer-wolf wearily looked at Levi, the prince fidgeting with discomfort. What is he supposed to do, say hi? He never had experienced meeting such creatures, especially some large, big...

The deer-wolf got on to her paws, stalking in front of Levi. She approached him the way a predator would approach a victim, and Levi knew better not to run since it would look like as if he'd feared the wolf. It would also disrespect Eren, and Levi knew no better shame than disappointment.

**"I swear he smells all too familiar." **she sniffed him. **"And the King of Maria wasn't this small from what I've remembered, or have I grown too big?"**

"That's his son." Eren giggled. "Ma, this is Rivaille Ackerman, but call him Levi. Levi, this is Kalura. She's my mother."

Levi wasn't exactly sure that this was his birth mother at all, having a deer-wolf as a mother isn't really genetically possible unless the science had lost a gear or two somewhere.

**"Tch, well. Human or not,"** she hissed. **"You hurt one nerve of my son, and that's the whole of Maria doomed in the pitfall, boy." **she growled. **"Understood!?"**

"Yes ma'am." Levi answered. Perhaps a bit too stiff, but he didn't intend to sound all jelly-like to Eren's mother, or he'll seem much weaker.

**"Hmph." **she turned away. Then, in a gentler voice, **"Are you sure you're going to be okay with him? He doesn't seem to be somehuman friendly."**

"Not to worry, ma." Eren smiled. "He may have lines on his forehead, but as humans are humans they could laugh once in a while. Don't be too stiff, Levi."

**"Yeah, well. Tell me if you feel any discomfort about him."** Kalura huffed. She walked back into the end of the cafe, crouching down. **"Are you going out again today?"**

"Just to escort Levi back. I'll be home for today." Eren smiled. He kissed her muzzle and gave her face a rub before running back to the other end of the cave with Levi.

"I'm sorry. She's getting a bit old." Eren burst into laughter once they passed the cavern. "I'm so glad."

"She looked like she was going to eat me, dumbass!" Levi growled. Then he sighed. "Though my father's another different story..."

"Ah, right, your pa." Eren bit his lip as they stopped in the middle of a forest of white willows.

A flurry of snow surrounded them once more, Levi getting accustomed to the buzzing noise and the floaty feeling. The snow soon dismissed to thin air, vanishing.

They trudged downhill, past the much Edelweiss. The sun was beginning to sort of set. How long was Levi in that 'realm'?

They reached the outskirts of the pine forest.

"About your pa." Eren blurted so suddenly, Levi almost jumping. "Um, can we keep it a secret from him? I know it sounds pretty unfair and selfish - "

"No, I'm thinking of the same thing." Levi let out one of his rare smiles. "My father won't know about you - not until I take over the throne, at least."

"Ah." Eren nodded.

They stared at each other.

"Levi?"

"Yes?"

"I'm glad." Eren smiled.

They spent what seemed like hours gazing into each other's eyes, Levi lost in the depths of his golden eyes that seemed to shine bright admist the miserable snow.

Eren quickly pecked his lips without warning, and now it was Levi's face to turn crimson.

"See you next time!" Eren giggled, waving as he ran away, and then vanished like snow into thin air.

Levi sighed and shook his head, looking at the landscape before walking back home, now that Eren's warmth had gone, the winter had again began to bite at his skin. He sighed, letting it out as a steam before walking through the guards to the hallway.

_"Rivaille." _came the stern voice he expected.

He sighed and around, his boots making some sort of slick noise as he turned in the stone tiles to face his fate.

;

_**rOARS HELLO THERE**_

_**Ooooo Levi what have you done D: but no matter, deer-boy loves you anyways despite your stupid daddy**_

_**btw, I spelled it 'Kalura' instead of 'Carla' because Carla sort of sounded modern in my ears. Dunno about you, but Kalura sounds much tribal-ish and sort of beastly.**_

_**has anyone noticed that the eren-kalura thing is kind of based on princess mononoke or**_

_**anyways, keep up the good reviews! ;u; more revs, more updates and more chapters! adieu, and stay tuned folks!**_

_**kouja(c)ku**_


	4. His Bastard of a Father

**Warning:**

**you will all hate me**

**Another thing:**

**I despise Mikasa? I don't know but I just hate her like,, HATE, hate, her.**

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><p>Levi clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. With one, stiff pirouette of his left foot, he turned an angle at his father; arms crossed, eyes with intent rivalling murderous.<p>

"You were gone for a week." his father spoke with gravel in his voice.

Levi cocked an eyebrow. Either they had slept in that mountain top like snails, or that world was of not what Levi resided in. Either way, he knew his father would throw this long five-hour rant about attitude, responsibility and arrogance, then threaten him to throw him into the dungeon (or possibly he'll throw him in the dungeon himself), force the answer out of him - then what would Eren say? No, no, forget about Eren. _Kalura_. What did she say about endangering her son? _Tch, well. Human or not! You hurt one nerve of my son, and that's the whole of Maria doomed in the pitfall, boy. _And she _did _sound like she meant her words well. Maria enclosed in a scheduled war is already difficult - a calamity? Far worse. His name would be shunned forever. His pride; his pride comes first before his feelings. Opinions and decision-making would be the very last on the list - for Heaven's sake, _he is the Prince of Maria! _Very soon his father would wither and die, and no one would want a king who had doomed the fall of Maria in his past.

Selfish, it might sound. But you live not to please others, but for your own. Levi, however, is confused by this statement. Being an heir automatically means that you follow orders as expected, but isn't that pleasing his own father? If he please himself and follow his own feelings, that is not called a Prince but a selfish, arrogant fool of a commoner.

Since he met this deer boy, had he been juggling two lives at once? An alibi? One half trying to please his father, and one half falling hopelessly - _hopelessly_, in love?

Levi snapped. Of course he wasn't in love! They were just acquaintances, two in a platonic relationship! That damn deer boy is a nuisance! Then... then again, why had he been coming back for a 'hunting trip' to admire that beautiful face of his? To accompany him while he picked the snowy flowers? And... perhaps he had even kissed him? Though, the deer boy may be a fool sometimes, he could even think a kiss is just another way to show affection non-sensually, just like all humans do to their mothers and fathers and kins. But how, he _had _been flustered when the deer boy kissed him right in his lips - however chaste and quick it was. Then surely, _surely_, he had been attracted? Because he had been disappointed at the times when the blizzard storms in, the days he couldn't see the golden eyes and the soft, snowy hair. He had caught himself many times pondering about the deer boy.

"Levi." his father tapped his footwear against the tiles. Levi had always thought the old man was sort of interesting, skin scarred with years of fighting and steel eyes bleak with a hint of blue, crossed when angry (mostly to Levi). Broad shoulders but fingers gentle like butterflies, though somehow it could swing a sword and and the slain head flying half a mile at maxiumum. Like an elephant; of its gentle nature, but when enraged it turned into a licking flame. Still, his heart is cold as the winter - yet the deer boy, the wielder of the snow himself, had always felt warm.

"Pray tell me, _Rivaille_." he had softly, so soft it sounded so loud and sinister. "What have you been doing for the past seven days?"

Levi breathed through his nose, lips pressed tightly in a grim, thin line. His father knows when he lies, as his voice always faltered when he told them, missing the slight edge of his own attitude within the dialogue.

"I've been seeing someone." he deadpanned.

"A woman?"

His father immediately turned into peals after peals of his bark - sorry, _laughter_, even wiping fake tears that nonexistently pricked at the corner of his eyes. "Well I never!" he snorted. "I'd never thought I'd live to see my son, finally interested in sweethearts. Indeed! Ha!"

Levi just went along and let out a scoff.

If he blurted out that it was a male he had been interested into, he'd probably end up not in the dungeon but with dear Satan himself, fire and Hell and all.

"Well, you could've told me." his father rolled his eyes. "Though you picked a wrong time of the year to be interested in such things, Levi. And you've gone for a wee- hang on." he eyed him closely. "Levi, were you planning to elope!?"

He really could use a bit of slapping himself right now.

"Father, what the hell are you talking about!?" he immediately flushed. Though running away with the deer boy sounded sort of romantic and fairy-tale like, but the stoic, deadpanning emotionless Prince Levi wasn't really a fictional someone you'd put in a romance tale, and it really sounded out of character.

"You've never done this before, I'm just saying." his father shrugged. "Well, Levi. I'd like to meet this lady you had spent your time for the past few days. I take it - " he eyed him with his criss-cross pupils again. " - that she is a noble, correct?"

It was a tradition a noble shall marry a noble, commoner a commoner, regardless of love, feelings or opinions. It was something so that the line of aristocracy can never be stained with a blood of farming and all day work in the mud, neck sunburned or frozen. Well - that deer boy and his mother Kalura had created snow, so technically they are Gods, or what? Is a God noble enough, or is noble to a God is a mere commoner? God, for all Levi knew, stands on a far, far higher plane than the richest, the cleverest nor the wisest, for years on end. So Levi guess it is a higher noble? That deer boy may wear muddy-caked boots (or snow, even) and a weathered cloak, but he could play the role of Death with the power in his hands without even realising.

"Yeah." Levi said bluntly.

But what will he do? Sometime later, his father would ask to meet this woman. He'd be so stricken if Levi displayed him; a man, golden eyes, white hair, silky antlers and light freckles. Shall he dress Petra a noblewoman and dye her hair a colour else than stupid ginger? Or grab some woman, pay her and show her to him? Or maybe play out a sad scene that he had grudges and maybe discomforts about the relationship he didn't want her anymore - which is quite believeable, since men his age quite often bewitched a woman and flounced away a few days later. Though his father knows lots when he lies, I may recall. What would he do? He could leave a note, saying he did decide he wanted to elope because he knew father wouldn't approve of their relationship. That's truth. Then his father would send men searching all over for the Prince of Maria; and if they fail, Mikasa would take over as heir. And Mikasa as an heir, indeed! She could barely use a fork and a knife, as if it were a one-man search for a needle in a mountain of haystack! He couldn't imagine. He hated his sister more than anything.

He suddenly wished he hadn't gone on that hunting trip that day with Mike.

His father dismissed him, and Levi left without another word.

He was left pondering, toying with his dinner (fish fish fish fish fish). He gone to bed with his stomach complaining, his mind troubled and his limbs suddenly aching for sleep. All he could think about was that stupid damn deer boy. His stupid smile, his stupid eyes and his stupid hair, his stupid flower-picking and his even stupider mother.

Thinking about it, how had the wolf-deer talked human? What next, flying pigs?

The deer boy had never really talked about himself, leaving Levi so clouded with unanswered questions and too many theories. He only talked about his obessions and his weird flower fetish, but that's about all. Yes, he replayed his dialogues everytime Levi visited him, only rephrasing and remixing them so they sounded different. Whenever Levi asked about the antlers on his head, he had simply turned away pretending he hadn't heard or rapidly changed the subject like wildfire. So he simply went along with the day, the deer boy doing most of the talking.

How had he been "attracted" in the first place, anyway?

His looks may play a large factor. His eyes and his hair, his frame and his smile and hands and clothes. His bubbly and happy personality wasn't really something Levi was keen on. Or had he had this charm like a siren?

"You're distracted, I can tell."

"Unnnhhh." Levi groaned, swatting her away. "Go away."

She only scoffed, throwing a blanket over his weary body. "Spill, sir. Maybe I could tell."

"Mh." Levi turned. "I..." he sighed. "I- I may be in... uh, perhaps, attracted? Oh no, nevermind. Forget it."

"Falling in love? Had your spurt finally kicked into you, sir?" she laughed. "Who's this lucky lady, then?"

Levi pulled her dress so suddenly, yanking her until their faced were close.

"Swear you won't tell." he whispered. "Not a soul, Petra. I'm dead serious about this."

"Christ! Don't kill me, I beg you." she laughed. But she nodded all the same. "You can trust me, sir."

Levi sighed, letting her go. He flopped back down to his bed, grunting.

"Not a lady." he said. "The snow-wielder, Petra. I'd hopelessly been trapped in the cave-in of attraction. We've been meeting for days when I'm supposed to prepare for battle." Levi gritted his teeth. "I honestly don't know what to do. Father would know sooner or later, and goodness knows what would that stupid deer boy's mother do to Maria if he's exposed."

Petra was silent for a while, but her face showed no shock. She didn't even laugh; which made Levi raise an eyebrow at her.

"Well, sir." she shrugged. "Do what you must, follow your heart and not your mind. If you truly love this snow-wielder, then love is love, nobody should stand in your way - well unless they love this person too, but." she paused to laugh. "We're human, sir. We live for ourselves and not for others."

"I beg to differ." Levi groaned. "You're a servant, yet you serve for me. Isn't that living for others instead of yourself? What about the knights? Maids, cooks, guards - even our horses!"

She laughed again. "Well-said, sir!" she giggled. "But think about it, sir. My family is wealthy enough to fend for themselves, and I do not need to send them money each month. If I didn't want to work here, then I should've ran off years ago, sir." she sighed. "I live for myself, and not for you, sir. You know why?"

She smiled.

"Because I've dedicated my life to serve you. See? I'm living for myself. It may seem that I'm just a mere servant, and that I am working for you. No! In fact I have never served you in the beginning. From the very start, I had lived for myself; and my life is dedicated to serve you. Same goes for the horses. They may be animals, but they didn't go to war because they have to, otherwise they would've ran away from the stables long ago! No. They are proud to serve these knights, and they obey their commands - why? Because they have dedicated their lives to serve them."

Levi thought about it for a moment.

"Obviously, however. This is just my babbling of a nonsense, I'm sorry." she laughed. "By the way, sir. If you don't mind, who's this snow-wielder?"

"... Eren." he rolled the name in his tongue, sub-conciously smiling as he said the name. "He's Eren."

"Who's Eren, eh?"

Petra and Levi whipped around to see a scoffing Mikasa at the doorframe, and Levi immediately snarled out of instincts.

"None of your business." he shooed her away. "Who the hell gave you permission to _my _quarters, anyway!?"

"I came here as I please." she huffed. "Who's Eren?"

"Just go away." Levi groaned. Petra swatted Mikasa away on her master's behalf and shut the door closed.

His head fell on the pillow and he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>At early dawn, Levi woke up. Refreshed, but still groggy, he got a change of clothes and stalked downstairs through the gates, and made a run for it.<p>

He knew the pathway without a map.

Eren seemed to have some sort of detector of 'what-time-Levi-visits' since he was there up early morning, picking Edelweiss although the sun hasn't risen yet (seriously, how many goodamn flowers grow everyday!?). At the sight of Levi in his chainmail and his usual frowny face had lit up a smile upon the deer boy's face.

"Levi!" he giggled. "I missed you!"

"Bah! It's only been twelve hours, and you're missing me already?" he huffed. But Eren pulled him into a giggly hug all the same, which Levi protested when he was reminded that Eren was significantly taller than himself.

"By the way..." Eren suddenly looked uneasy, fidgeting. "Your pa. He didn't get mad at you, right? I mean... A whole day cycle in my realm means a week in here, approximately."

"No." he shrugged. "He's just thought I had eloped with somebody."

Eren let go of him and burst into laughter, holding his stomach while his basket dropped into the snow. He even stamped his boots on the ground and throwing his head back - Levi found it somewhat... pleasant? He liked the way he laughed, and it sort of sent tingles all over his body when he did so.

"Ha! I- I can't... Ha! Haha! Pff- ha... Ha! Elope! I'd say!" he giggled. But then he eyed Levi with a grin. "Perhaps we could elope someday together, Levi?"

"What!?"

"I'm just kidding!" he laughed - and Levi was sure he was laughing at his face since he had gone all crimson and flustered.

"I don't know."

"That means there's still chance because you didn't say no!" he pranced aroune in circles, chortling. "Oh! Does that mean you like me, Levi?"

"S-shut up."

Usually it was Levi who teased. Now he was drowning in embarassment.

"Yeah! You like me! We should elope!" he snorted.

He giggled lightly. "But... seriously, Levi. Do you like me?"

Eren suddenly turned so serious.

"Well..." Levi averted his gaze. "Isn't it obvious?" he stuttered out. "I-I come here to see you every goddamn day, I agreed to come with you to that mountain and I feel crushed when you whipped out a stupid blizzard." he gritted his teeth. "I like you, Eren. I... I..." he gulped. "I love you, Eren."

What would Eren say? Would he laugh? Would he mock him? Levi had all but prepared himself for Eren rejecting his words - no wait, what did he just _did_? Did he just confessed? Was this what he wanted?

Yes. He wanted this. He _needed _to say it.

What was he afraid of, then? Why does his heart beat so fast? Was... was he scared that Eren would push him away? Laugh at him? Mock him?

But he never laughed. Levi had expected one, but he received a breathless response.

"L-Levi..." Eren whispered carefully. "Do you... really?"

"I love you, Eren." Levi forced it out of his throat, his hands somehow finding Eren's own warm ones. "My first, and probably my last."

Then his eyes widened, and his body slumped forward.

"Eren!" Levi caught him when he fell, his body suddenly heavy in his arms. "Eren, what's wrong? Eren! E-"

He turned him over around, and he clapped over his own mouth to prevent his screams.

"Hang on. Hang in there, Eren." Levi said shakily. He gazed terrifyingly at the arrow that pierced inbetween the deer boy's ribs, blood seeping like wildfire through his clothes, splattered at the back of his cape; the arrow had went all the way from the front through the back, red drops trickling down he snow.

Eren had started some sort of seizure, gripping Levi's arm tightly while his eyes rolled, panting and gasping. He cried out as Levi pulled out the arrow, crimson liquid dripping from the weapon. Levi took one look at it and his eyes widened, hatefully gripping the wooden instrument until it broke in two.

"This is fucking _poisoned!_" he snarled. "How _dare _you!"

He sent his best glare towards the man he hated most.

"At least the antlers would sell a good price, and we'll have him skinned." his father laughed, shouldering the bow. "Well done, Mikasa."

The girl grinned, clinging on to her father's arm.

Levi breathed in and out of his nose, pulling Eren's limp body close to himself, blood staining his chainmail. He breathed so hard steam came out in puffs as he hissed between his teeth, his fingers gripping the soft, white locks as he desperately searched life in the golden pupils, their foreheads pressed as tears pricked in his own steel eyes, rolling down his cheeks.

_Tch, well. Human or not! You hurt one nerve of my son, and that's the whole of Maria doomed in the pitfall, boy._

He screamed.

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><p><strong><em>Any hate comments welcome B)<em>**

**_BUT OTHERWISE, if there's any character death, I would've warned you in the very beginning of the story. So, use your logic people plz C:_**

**_Noooooooo Ereeeen! TmT_**

**_s-stay tuned... hic... *bawls*_**

**_vry sad kouja(c)ku_**


	5. I'll Create My Own Hope

**_hello again, everyreader :D another chapterrrr_**

**_and crybaby levi is always the cutest_**

**_snorts i dont even know_**

**_EDIT: fixed spelling mistakes. Sorry for those who expected an update /sobs\_**

* * *

><p>"Eren..." he sobbed into the bloody shirt, clutching the limp body tightly. "... E... ren..."<p>

Tears mixed in with blood and poison, the body smelling of a coppery odour, the crimson liquid pooling onto the snow, staining it an ugly red. The other called out his name in misery but the deer boy stayed limp; and no matter how much the Prince assured himself his heart was still dyingly beating there was almost no life residing in the suddenly cold body. Levi ignored the antlers that were slowly cracking as if made of glass, and the Edelweiss crowning his head withering and turning to ashes. His eyes were half lidded; the golden hue dulling to black whilst the poison travelled through his veins...

Hatred. All his life; Levi had been raised to hate somebody. Or something. He despised annoyance and responsibility, and chose to avoid it as much as he could. He always hated such hard-labour commitment, and chose to laze around. He hated Sina and their King, cursing their existance for every breath he took. He- he hated winter. He hated snow; he hated the cold.

None of these compared to how much he hated his own kingdom.

"Well I'd say, Levi." his father laughed gruffly. "Too bad I sort of killed it. You never had the chance to say goodbye! How about something to make up for it, eh?"

He always hated the kingdom; their measly people! And to think that one day he'd rule them, too! It was a surprise he had showed such strength in the battles against Sina, considering his poor teamwork. He valued nobody else, save perhaps his servant and his knights - but others? Hah. Diseased, ill people! Their laws and traditions was enough to kill him. Absolutely ridiculous. Some days he'd even think of allowing Sina to kill them all altogether because he was sick of everything.

Then Eren... he came along. He made him value his living place; that actually maybe one person out of two million would brighten everything. He considered himself lucky, as otherwise if he lived someplace else he would've never met the deer boy. Sure he was annoyance at times, but Levi knew he was just trying to keep a decent converstation - like, like humans do. Isn't that what humans do? Communicate. Eren tried so hard to be human, among other humans that acted like monsters. Levi valued his efforts; and he loved him.

And that stupid bastard just had to come along!

Levi ignored his mocks. He took off his chainmail and his shirt, shuddering at the cold that tusked his body. Ripping the shirt into untidy strips, he lifted Eren's own clothing - wincing at the gaping hole between his ribs - and wound the ripped garments of clothing around the hole, slipping in snow under the cloth.

Levi knew how much poison contained in his father's arrows; a practically illegal amount in the kingdom, only to be used in winter wars. Now that it embedded itself through the blood, at least Levi would try and stop the furious bleeding.

Unless sorcery still existed within the lands, he needed a miracle.

"-have you brought to the kingdom, _Rivaille?_"

Levi faced his father, gripping Eren's body tighter as if his father wanted to snatch him from his arms. He gritted his teeth from the cold, and he stood up.

"You did wrong." Levi hissed. "So wrong."

Mikasa raised her eyebrows and she laughed, stamping her boots on the snow. Levi felt as if she was stamping on his pride - nice try.

"Oh, Levi!" she cried, laughing. "Such sinful, sinful liar." she snickered. "You had fallen for a _man_. A man indeed, trying to play clown with his white hair and damned antlers!"

"Fuck off!" Levi snarled.

"Oh, language." she teased, clucking her tongue. "No wonder father would rather have a Queen and be shunned, rather than housing a stupid bastard like you are! Hah! A selfish one at that, too! The next phases are the winter wars, and what does Levi do? He'd prance off to some man trying to be a clown and ignore his father's orders!"

"I do acknowledge my faults." Levi said bitterly. "And I admit I was never worthy of a Prince in the beginning; that I am selfish, lazy and arrogant, _but._"

He heard a distant howling - a distressed howling. And he sobbed.

"You made a wrong mistake!" he growled, tears streaming down his cheeks. "A mistake that had judged the end of our winter phase; Maria will fall! Not in my hands, nor his, nor the winter, the snow, the cold, nor Sina!" he screamed the words. "It will fall in your _own _hands; as he did fall, helpless in every way once the poison travels into his veins! Your _own _hands! _Yours_! May Maria regret that they had been ruled by a foolish King!"

Levi was practically roaring at the rate, and his father turned to him in fury.

Just as his father was about to retort, there was greater howl. The snow suddenly turned grey as if they hardened to burnt ashes; and the wind gusted against their faces, threatening to floor them into the ground, biting into Levi's bare back and he clung to Eren.

It sounded more... melancholy than furious.

_**"AAAAACKERMAAAANN!" **_it cried, the dust surrounding them became thicker and thicker. **_"YOU WILL PAY! YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS! YOU HAVE JUDGED YOURSELF OF MARIA'S FATE; AND YOU WILL REGRET EVERY SINGLE SECOND YOU HAVE LIVED!"_**

The storm continued, but Levi could see fear for once in his father's face.

_**"HUMANS! I SHOULD'VE KNOWN; I SHOULDN'T'VE TRUSTED THEM!" **_the voice continued to wail and shriek. The pine trees began to rot and fall; the storm raged on. Levi clutched the dying body tightly, his face stained red from Eren's blood.

He was suddenly pounced on, and he was not ready for any sort of strike whatsoever. He let go of Eren by shock, and he rolled over dust, the wind blowing onto his face. He felt his own warm blood in his back; claw marks - he had failed Kalura. The wolfess took her son and she cried out hollowly, the sound loud and shrill as the storm intestified.

His tears were real, alright.

* * *

><p>He was thrown against the cell floor, the rough ground skinning his already bloody back, his mouth letting out a shocked gasp. He landed on his face, silently thanking his father with colourful curses.<p>

"I honestly don't know what to do with you anymore, Rivaille." his father clanged the door shut, locking it with such hurry as if Levi was a dangerous monster and he could reach out and bite his hand anytime. "I really don't know." His father threw the keys aside, tossing them far back; for Levi to see but to never reach, and he smirked smugly. He blew out the torch and he left with his footsteps echoing at the tiles of the dungeon, before the main door clanged shut.

Levi gritted his teeth, trying to get up, but his back ached with pain he helplessly flopped back down on the ground, grunting as the cold floor hit his face. Perhaps he should stay like this for a while so he could let his back heal and not ruin the scabs; Kalura's claws are not to mess with. Plus, what was the use of moving now? He had no saviour; and he knew well that he was deep underground in the darkest cell, and the storm still raged outside.

He had nothing to pray for, and hope was only a fake four-letter word.

He curled up, hugging his knees. He didn't sob but he let his tears stream down his cheeks. It was painfully cold, and he only had his lower garments of clothing. He had no chains, yet he felt so trapped and confined in this small, cramped space. There's the key to his cell on sight - but he could only see it, and he could never reach it.

He needed a miracle.

Now that he was captured and the only person mattered to him disappeared - possibly forever, alive or not, what was there to live for anymore? He had been a good-for nothing heir, and probably had been a bad example to his knights as he lazed around with an aura of arrogance. He had fallen hopelessly in love with a _man _who undirectly mass-murdered his people and every chance he had, he had either lost them or torn them apart. Torn pieces are not to be glued together; he had no chances left. He had drowned in his own sins, and he could've escaped this fate. He could've listened to his father. He could've ignored that deer-boy that day. He could've walked away. Every choice he had made; it was all wrong.

Perhaps, you existed not for yourself but for other's benefits, after all.

Days passed. His back almost completely healed but his throat was dry and his stomach was empty, and his skin paled from white to white. He stayed curled up in that floor.

He grunted. Why had he not killed himself?

There was a nice piece of iron in the corner, the edges sharp. Not enough to pick a lock but it was enough to kill, and he could die here as he had nothing left to live for.

_Hope_.

He scowled. There was no such thing as hope. Hope makes people drunk and lost. Hope is a fake promise.

_Hope._

**Go away.**

_Hope._

_Hope._

_THERE IS NO __**HOPE**__._

_Because I've dedicated my life to serve you. See? I'm living for myself. It may seem that I'm just a mere servant, and that I am working for you. No! In fact I have never served you in the beginning. From the very start, I had lived for myself; and my life is dedicated to serve you. Same goes for the horses. They may be animals, but they didn't go to war because they have to, otherwise they would've ran away from the stables long ago! No. They are proud to serve these knights, and they obey their commands - why? Because they have dedicated their lives to serve them._

He stood up, his back aching in complaint but he didn't care. He hovered over for the iron and made a grab for it. He rolled it around his hands - cold.

_If he couldn't live for himself;_

_If there is no hope left,_

_Then he would live for him._

_He would create his own hope._

He furiously swung the metal bar on the lock.

* * *

><p><strong><em>hello welcome to the end of chapter<em>**

**_haha gross,, sorry its rlly half-assed. i wanted to update but im kinda lazy. I apologize for any grammatic mistakes and weird spellings bc im typing on me ipad, bless my electronic device and i have no beta haha_**

**_anyways_**

**_review and stay tuned,,,,, we have cookies B)_**

**_stop crying levi sHUT UP_**

**_kouja(c)ku_**


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